A conference for China-Russia youth economic and trade development concluded in Heihe, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Aug 15. It was organized by the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC) under the guidance of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), aiming to continuously deepen communication and cooperation between Chinese and Russian youth, and to facilitate China-Russia economic and trade development.

Xiapaketi Wushouer, a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) and head of the ACYF, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. He said that youth have the best innovative vitality, and young entrepreneurs are the most entrepreneurial group.

Xiapaketi expressed the hope that Chinese and Russian youth would remain firm in promoting mutually-beneficial cooperation.

He added that the youth should seize the opportunities to focus on new cooperation areas and deepen cooperation in such fields as equipment manufacturing, digital economy, agricultural products, and transportation and logistics.

Chinese and Russian youth are expected to forge ahead and add new vitality to cooperation between the two countries, according to him.

Jia Yumei, Vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Heilongjiang Provincial People's Congress, said in her address that Heilongjiang Province will fully implement important consensus reached by the two heads of state, actively enhance economic and trade exchanges, and continue to contribute to the development of China-Russia friendship.

Jia, also a leading Party member of Heilongjiang Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee and Chairperson of the provincial trade union, suggested further strengthening economic and trade cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning to facilitate common development.

She also called on participants to strengthen communication, learn advanced concepts, and pool resources and factors in a bid to contribute to building a better future for China and Russia.

Participants including Li Xiwen, Secretary of CPC Heihe City Committee; Mikhail Derevyanko, chairman advisor of Russian Union of Youth; and Artyom Androsov, a board member of Russian autonomous non-profit organization "Leaders of International Cooperation", delivered speeches. They called on young entrepreneurs from both countries to actively establish long-term cooperation and to build a platform for economic and trade development through China-Russia Youth Business Incubator. They should facilitate the common prosperity of China and Russia and write a new chapter in China-Russia good neighborliness, practical cooperation and mutual support.

Jia Tiesong, Deputy Director of the CIYEC, released a plan for the collection of best practice cases of the incubator project, which is expected to showcase the strength of young entrepreneurs in promoting cooperation between the two countries.

The conference features the introduction and promotion of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation, keynote speeches, negotiations, and visits. Young entrepreneurs held in-depth discussions on such areas as agriculture, energy, culture and tourism, and the digital economy, as well as prospective cooperation areas, in order to facilitate future investment cooperation and the prosperity of Heilongjiang Province.

During the conference, relevant enterprises in Heilongjiang and cooperation partners from Russia reached 40 intents of cooperation, with an estimated amount of 8.38 billion yuan, among which 12 projects worth 3.86 billion yuan saw cooperation documents signed at the opening ceremony.

The conference was co-organized by Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the CYLC, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province, the Heihe Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Heihe Municipal People’s Government, and Heilongjiang provincial youth federation.

Xu Changyong, Secretary of the CYLC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, presided over the conference. Zhang Wenchuan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province; Anna Bessmertnaya, Chairman of the commission for economic relations with partners in China of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry; vice-mayors of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Blagoveshchensk, as well as around 200 guests and representatives from China and Russia attended the event.